The present invention relates to a disposable wearing article used for absorption and containment of bodily waste discharged thereon.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-61888 (hereinafter referred to as “Citation”), there has already been disclosed a disposable wearing article contoured by front and rear end portions extending in a transverse direction and transversely opposite lateral portions, the front and rear end portions defining therebetween a front waist region, a rear waist region and a crotch region extending between the waist regions. The article comprises a liquid-previous topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet, a pair of liquid-impervious leak-barrier sheets including stretchable elastic members extending in the longitudinal direction and contractibly attached thereto so as to bias the leak-barrier sheets to rise up above the topsheet under a contractile force of these elastic members and a liquid-absorbent core interposed between the top- and backsheets so as to extend on the front waist region and the crotch region. The rear waist is divided into a first area put aside toward the rear end portion and a second area put aside toward the crotch region and wherein a stiffness of the second area is lower than those of the first area and the crotch region and proximal portion of the leak-barrier sheets as well as longitudinal ends of the elastic members lie on the first area of the rear waist region.
The first area comprises the top- and backsheets and a band-like waist-surrounding elastic member interposed between these sheets. The proximal portions of the leak-barrier sheets are permanently bonded to the outer surface of the topsheet extending on the first area. In the known article, a contractile force of the elastic members attached to the leak-barrier sheets pulls the first area toward the crotch region so that the first area comes above the crotch region in the thickness direction of the article. Thereupon a difference in level appears between the crotch region and the first area and the second area forms a pocket opening toward the crotch region. Even if bodily waste spreads on the topsheet toward the rear end portion, such bodily waste is received by the pocket and thereby leak of bodily waste beyond the rear end portion can be prevented.
In the case of the article disclosed in Citation, there is an anxiety that the pocket might be collapsed when a body weight of the wearer is exerted on the rear waist region of the article put on the wearer's body and, in consequence, bodily waste might leak out from the pocket and eventually might leak beyond the first area and the rear end portion from the article. The core is not present in the first and second areas, so it is impossible for the first area and the second area forming the pocket to absorb bodily waste. Bodily waste staying in the pocket will readily leak out from the pocket as the pocket is collapsed.